Antonio Stellato

He was born on December 3, 1923, in Bellona, the Province of Caserta, Italy, to the late Pasqua De Felippo and the late Giovanni Stellato.

When he was a child, Antonio’s family owned a flour mill in the nearby village of Vitulazio where he worked since he was a child. As a teenager, Antonio was drafted into the Italian army during WWII and served on the eastern front. After Italy was liberated by the U.S., he was arrested on base by the Nazis and imprisoned in Corfu, Greece. After years of being held prisoner, the war ended, and he returned home to marry his childhood sweetheart, Angela Russo, from the neighboring village of Vitulazio, Italy. In Italy, they had their first child, Lina.

Having returned to find that his family’s flour mill was destroyed during the war, Antonio worked at another nearby flour mill. The post-war economic situation was dire. Antonio and his wife, Angela, decided to move their young family to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to join Antonio’s sisters, who had already moved there with their families. During the years they lived in Argentina, Antonio worked in the tile trade, and Angela gave birth to their second child, John Carlo. After years of waiting, Antonio was notified that they had become eligible to immigrate to the United States. The family soon relocated to Yonkers, NY, where Angela’s brothers and sister resided. Angela there gave birth to their third child, Theresa. In New York, Antonio worked in construction until his retirement.

Other than his wife, Angela and his family, Antonio’s love was music and singing. His whole family was very musically talented. This is something he was very proud to tell anyone who would listen. Antonio would sing any chance he was given. From serenading Angela under the balcony, at her parent’s house in Italy, when they were dating, to weddings, parties, volunteering at nursing homes, or just randomly. He loved to sing and make people happy.

Antonio wrote a song about his love for his hometown, Bellona, Italy. At the age of 91, his family recorded him singing his song, and put it on YouTube, so that family and friends around the world could hear it. He soon received calls from family and friends all over the world, Italy, Argentina, and America. It made him very happy to share his song with the world. In Antonio’s honor, please go to https://youtu.be/FfiHBOYLPek and listen to his song.

In 2016, after 70 years of marriage, his wife, Angela, passed away. Antonio has three surviving sisters, Angelina Penza, Raffelina Marcone, and Giuseppina Lamberti, and many nephews and nieces. He also leaves behind his daughter, Lina Luciano and husband Joseph of Trumbull, CT; his son, John Stellato and wife Valerie of Cape Coral, FL; and Theresa Stellato Balas of Shelton, CT. Antonio was also a loving Nonno to Joseph Luciano and wife Michelle, Vito Luciano, Anne Marie Martini and husband Mark, Carlo Luciano and wife Kelly, Paul Stellato, Nicole Stellato, Michael McClure, and Angela McClure. He was blessed with being a great grandfather to Julianna Luciano, Ellie and Steven Luciano, Anthony and Ava Martini, and Isabel and Charlie Luciano.

In consideration of current health concerns, a Memorial Mass will be celebrated at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made, in Antonio’s name, directly to Vitas Healthcare, 199 Park Road Extension, Middlebury, CT 06762 or to CT Hospice, 100 Double Beach Rd, Branford, CT 06405.